Machine for holding open bags and sacks



, J. ROBINSON. V MACHINE FOR HOLDING OPEN BAGS AND SACKS.

' Patented Sept. 9, 1.862,

JOHN ROBINSON, OF NEW WILMINGTON, PENNSYLVANIA.

MACHINE FOR HOLDING OPEN BAGS AND SACKS.

Specification of Letters Patent No. 36,423, dated September 9, 1862.

To of whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN ROBINSON, of New l/Vilmington, in the county ofLawrence and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and usefulMachine for Holding Open Bags and Sacks; and I do hereby declare thatthe following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, referencebeing had to the annexed drawing, forming part of this specification, inwhich- Figure 1, is a perspective representation of my improved machine.Fig. 2, is a perspective representation of my machine when 1n use.

The object of my invention is to provide a convenient machine, by whichbags or sacks may be held in a vertical posit-ion, with their mouthsopen to receive the grain or other article to be deposited therein.

To enable others skilled in the art to construct and use my machine, Iwill proceed to describe its construction and operation.

The frame of the machine consists of a platform afrom one side ofwhichrisesa vertical post or standard 5 of suitable height. In the upper partof this standard I) is a vertical slot 0 through which projectshorizontally the squared end of the handle (Z of the bag holder; afianch c on the handle (Z rests against the side of the standard 6 oneither side of the slot 0 against which it is pressed by a nut f screwedon the end of the handle d which projects through the slot in thestandard. The handle may thus be slid up and down in the slot in thestandard, to adjust itat any required height to accommodate the size ofbag to be filled, and fastened by the nut 7 at the desired point. At thefront end of the handle is a T head or cross piece 9 at either end ofwhich is the fulcrum or turning point of one of the arms h h of the bagholder. From the extremities of the T head, the arms branch out, and arecurved, so as to overlap each other in front, and form with T head acircular or elliptical ring, as seen in Fig. 2. The extremity of one arm71. is bent around the other arm it, so as to permit of the arm hslipping through the eye thus formed in the end of the other arm h. To

each of the arms h. h at its pivot in the T head 9 is rigidly attached ashort lever z' t" which is nearly parallel to the handle (Z or at rightangles to the conjugate or long axis of the elliptical ring it h. Theextremities of the levers i i are connected by a spring 72 either ofindia rubber, or a coiled spiral spring, which may pass over or throughthe handle d. The effect of this spring is to draw the ends of thelevers i 2" together, causing the arms h h to spread and increase thediameter of the elliptical ring.

When the machine is not in use, or it is designed to remove a bag afterit has been 'filled, one of the levers z" is released from the spring Itand then the arms h IL can readily be pressed together, so as to releasethe bag or sack.

At each end of the T head near the pivots of the arms 72, h are hookswhich are intended to hold up the bag when filled, on pressing in thearms 7t 7t, and keep it in place on the elliptical ring.

Having thus described the construction of my improved bag holder, I willproceed to explain more fully the method of its operation.

The handle (Z being set at such a height in the standard I) by means ofthe nut f at the end of the handle cl that the lower end of the bag mayjust touch the platform a, while the edges of the bag at its mouth areinserted in the elliptical ring formed of the arms h it and lapped overthe ring, the

hooks Z, Z, being passed through the side off the bag at the T 9 so asto hold it firmly at ring over which, the mouth of the bag is turned,thus stretching the bag open as wide as it will admit of. The bag maythen be filled with ease, and when full, the levers are released fromthe spring, or the arms h h are forced together so as to admit of thebag being removed from the ring.

The convenience of this bagholder is very great as it obviates thenecessity of having one person to hold the bag open, while another isfilling it.

What I claim as my invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent is-The bag holder constructed substantially as described of the arms h hpivoted to a handle, d projecting from a standard 6, whether so arrangedas to be adjusted to any height or not.

JOHN ROBINSON.

Witnesses:

J OI-IN E. LAYTON, THOMAS POMEREY.

